A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Feel free to join in, use the acronym, and use up your NBUS too! Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

Pages

September 2, 2016

Paper Towel Brusho Art + Last NBUS Reminder!

Hey, how's it goin' out there?

(I'm not even going to talk about the fact that we have whooshed into September. Maybe if we ignore it, it will stop galloping towards Christmas.)

Are you feverishly tossing never-before-used-schtuff (NBUS) onto your desk from every drawer and plastic container in your drafty corner, sorry, crafty dorner? I sure hope so! Goodness, there is already SO MUCH incredible inspiration in the gallery below! Thank you, everyone! I'm very proud of you!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, pahlez click HERE for all the deets on NBUS Challenge #7 which ends at the end of the day, September 5, 2016.

Also, I have started a Pinterest Board, brilliantly called "NBUS Challenge #7." If you'd like to follow it, you can click here.

So what happened was I made a lot of Brusho stencil art when I was at the Happy Little Stampers Retreat, which I will share soon and which involved using paper towels to blot up the Brusho paint. The cast-off towels were so pretty that I scooped them up and brought them home to use. Here's them:

I will be sharing later other makes I come up with using the paper towels. Today's card was my first effort. What's neat about them is that each panel is two-ply, so I carefully separated them and ended up with double the delirium!

Debbie Yoder. Debbie is known as "swldebbie" at Splitcoast Stampers. Debbie has been showcasing her brilliant cards at SCS since January of 2009. That means Debbie has a 41-page gallery of pretty and/or adorable cards for your viewing pleasure! You'll lose all track of time when you visit, but you won't care!

Debbie L. of Cat Card Crazy Lady. Debbie is from Scotland. She just started her blog in April of this year, so welcome to Blogland, Debbie! I love her blog name! I think there are a lot of us card crazy ladies and a fair amount of ladies crazy about cats, too. Debbie's card art is sensational! She does a lot of one-layer cards and Brushos, so check her out for inspiration and let her know how welcoming we are in our little community!

Toni Maddox of Frankie Helps Craft. Speaking of cats, Toni is another card artist who loves cats so much she gave her cat Frankie top billing at her blog! Toni lives in the Seattle area and she has been blogging since September 2013. She is an avid challenge player and winner and she currently serves on several well-known design teams. Toni has lots of spectacular card art to inspire you!

Regina Kolebabchuk of Catchy Sketch. Regina was born in Siberia. She is now a journalist living in California. Regina started her blog in March of this year, so she is also new to Blogland. Welcome, Regina! Her cards are beautiful and often very personal for members of her family back in Russia. Regina has been slowly entering challenges, which is a wonderful way to meet fellow bloggers. Please visit and leave Regina some love, too!

Trina Pham of My Crafting Closet. Trina also started blogging in April of this year! I don't know when Trina started making cards, but they have the professional look of someone who has been creating card art for many years. Trina started her blog to enter challenges and she took to them like a duck to water! Trina is amazingly talented when it comes to her masking and coloring, and the execution of her fantastic designs!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling:

Click CTL + Home. Click the Home tab under my blog banner which resets the post.Click Page Down to reach the end of the post.Click Comments and a pop-up box opens.Click "Jump to Comment Form" and walla, no more car pool tunnel!Mwah!If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leave meyour email address so I can respond. Thank you!

Love your 'mop up' card, the colours are so, so beautiful! I was going to add to NBUS today but there is nothing on the my project that has not been used before... sigh. Well done on the 195 so far though - a great success I would say!! Hugs, Annie xxx

This is just beautiful and a terrific idea to recycle. I love the mix of colors on the flower pot. I'm so happy to see so many great submissions for NBUS. It's nice to know we are not alone when it comes to buying things and not using them right away. We have a commercial running ov TV now that says we are more alike than unalike. Every time I hear that I think of NBUS!

I haven't been around blogland much lately...almost missed your NBUS ! Better late then never...glad I made it in time. You always get such fun cards in your gallery...off to take a peek! Love your Brusho card! I may try that inlaid die cutting with my alcohol ink!

Love this Darnell .... that mop up piece was perfect for this job.How come my paper towel mop ups never look as pretty as yours. Congratulations on another fabulous NBUS challenge .... they're always so much fun.Enjoy the weekend my friend xx

Well I guess I had better get a move on if I'm going to get my third entry made in time! Thanks for the reminder! When the challenge started, September 5 seemed so far away! Your card is gorgeous! Love seeing all your NBUS!

It appears that you have a great deal of ammo for future cards...how you ever got a piece of paper towel that contains both an earth-pot color and a pretty purple for the flowers, is beyond me. I can't seem to even semi control Brusho's. That's probably the idea, although, I keep trying. Anyway, the card looks beautifully unique.

This card makes a great reminder of your time in the UK using paint soaked pieces of kitchen towel no less..lol. This look so pretty Darnell and the acetate over the top works brilliantly. I love that sentiment too and the linen look card has a wonderful texture. x

Thank you so much, Darnell, for the mention in your new friends section. I love your NBUS challenge. Such a brilliant idea. I have so much NBUS and just submitted my second entry today. Hopefully, I will get the third one done by the deadline.Your card today is beautiful. I have such a hard time with powder inks. You did great with the Brushos.

How clever of you to salvage what normally would be tossed and create a gorgeous work of art with it. I just love the colorful flower pot and the flowers. What a wonderful die you used too. I really like that.

The paper towels turned out beautifully, why not use them :) I purchased two packages of Brusho's last summer and have yet to use them. Terrible, I know! Have a great weekend. Your card is very pretty! Love it!

Wow Darnell, I love what you did with what I threw in the bin! Boy do I regret that now. I love this pretty card and it is so nice to see a different orientation for the sentiment. I am going to have to get my skates on to join in. I made 2 NBUS cards for my DT commitments and then realised that they don't go live until after your challenge ends. Honestly, I'd be dangerous if my brain worked! I'm determined to be there before the doors close though.HugsCarol xx

Hi DarnellWhat a stunning card! The plant pot looks amazing. Only you could take paint soaked kitchen roll home with you lol! Would have made an interesting chat if you got stopped at customs, along with kilo bag of white detail embossing powder lol! Ang x

Hi Darnell, your flower pot brusho art is beautiful, quite creative :) I see your NBUS challenge continues to be very popular, whoever said that it was popular just because of prizes was SO wrong, it's popular because of you and your great idea...stamp companies would love to be as successful at challenges as you are. Congratulations I see that you have over 1,000 followers ... amazing ! Hugs, Shirley xxx

Pretty sure I hadn't gotten to commenting before now, didn't look to see if I did, and if I already did, then you just get two comments from me. Woohoo!! Girl. You are brilliant on umpty-ump levels. Discards into sweet cards. Adding an acetate level was another level of your ever expanding brilliance. Dang girl. And I'm pretty sure that most of us like to play along with your NBUS challenge because you is being the hostess with thee mostest. We adore you, punkin! MISS YOU! Bev

Oooh missus - I just lurve how you collected, separated and saved all the spare bits of paper to use at a later date - I've told you before I'm certain we are from the same pod!! Just like two peas! This is such a gorgeous card and I have some Brushos myself which I must get around to using - I guess I'm too scared of not being happy with whatever I 'create' - more than likely to be a bloomin' mess methinks! Anyway on to other things, I've received my wonderful Hammy and am so chuffed! I will have to send you one or two of mine which I hope you will like. Hugs to you Soupie. xxxxxx

Ditto on Bev's comment cuz I thought that I had already comment too! An ageing brain is NOT fun!!!

First of all, I LOVE that sentiment..totally a 'happy' font! Secondly...paper towel...seriously? The colors are gorgeous and the blending is so 'soft'. Bonus to get 'two' of each! Gotta love the two-ply towels!

Stunning card! I love the sheen on the flowers, but it's the flower pot that makes me smile all over my face!!! Love your creativity and resourcefulness!

Such a cool idea to keep the paper towels but boy I bet it was hard to separate them, rather you than me. They look fab with the shiny acetate layer. Love you started the Pin board, already pinned one cadd from it. Thanks for doing this x

Phew, Darnell, the days have quite snuck on me.. I made this card for my dad for Fathers day in Oz today otherwise wouldn't have NBUS offering this time which would have been a first I think.. Twas such a blessing to dig out a very old unused stamp and to try my newest NBUS which was brushos .. funny that eh? Just happened to come on super- uber cheap on Ebay otherwise I would not have them.Sorry been slack commenting still not 100%, a way to go to get tablets back to normal but getting there. It's is so much harder as one geta older, also a flare up of my right shoulder injury hasn't helped computer work. But could be worse, at least I can use two hands still, not like some dear folk.Hugs and will do my best commenting,Shaz.x

How clever are you to use the PAPER TOWEL LEFTOVERS? This little card is so darn cute!! Love the way you put the acetate over the towel to give it a little shine. Such a fabulous card. Thank you for sharing!!

Now that's what I call stretching your supplies, and with a beautiful result I might add. Just linked up my first NBUS project and I'm hoping to link up 2 more. I'm happy to see your followers don't need a monetary incentive to play along. Not that I had expected otherwise...

Hi Darnell, A great plant pot card - so shiny and pretty! If I were a magpie I would have scooped this little card up and put it in my nest. I have joined in with the challenge - so much new stuff, and so little time - sigh. :-)

Ha! So much for the thought that the prizes were what were bringing folks to your challenge! Thanks so much for giving me the push to use some of that NBUS! I have certainly helped the crafting economy in the past year! Some of which I got because of your enabling. Like the Fuse Tool. You are an inspiration! xoxo

Darnell this is fabulous! You are amazing with the Brushos! I am so sorry I didn't play with any NBUS this past week, that doesn't mean that I don't have any! I have not been in my craftroom in over a week, but the babies have gone to school so I may be able to resume my life again. xoxo

Your paper towels look so yummy, Darnell! I believe we'll be seeing many fantastic cards using them.This time I couldn't play along with NBUS #7... but I can see you had another smashing success!Thank you for stopping by my blog!

Hi Darnell!! I'm having a little problem trying to get my pix added to the inLinks. I have 2 cards in 1 post that I am trying to add, but when I try and add the 2nd one, it says that URL already exists... How do I add a second image from the same post...?????

Congrats on a whopping 1000 followers Darnell! So glad I managed to sneak a link to your latest challenge just before it closed. Loving those gorgeous blooms- I really must try that technique. It looks so effective!

So good to keep the towels and make something with it; they have such beautiful colours! And look great on your card!Thanks to your NBUS-challenge I am full in using my NBUS things, but must say I went to an event last week (just one of the four I am going to this year) and well, my NBUS-pile has grown again... That means much more projects too make with fun new things :)!) Hope your week is a sunny one!

Dear, Darnell, sorry I'm late with commenting on this post! Thanks a TON for featuring me and my blog among new friends! I'm very grateful! I even couldn't imagine this happening! And I love how you used this paper towel. This is so creative! Flower pot and flowers look perfect!And you've made such a great job creating this pinterest board for all of us!Thanks so much again!Regina

What a wonderful way to use the towels - and this is so so pretty. It makes me wish I had kept my brusho brush offs now. What a waste to throw them in the bin.As I was looking at the paper towels, it reminded me of a card my mum made back in the days when she did that as a hobby. She made my Dad a card for their 50th wedding anniversary and she used a tiny bit of the most beautiful paper napkin within her card - I forget the detail, but I think it was a kind of a tiny Tuscan landscape, oranges and greens. She didn't just plonk it on, she made it look really beautiful and every time I see paper napkins I now think of how I can use the images on a card, so different. And now I shall look at brusho paper towels the exact same way!I think I am now finally caught up on all your lovely blog posts :)Lisa xx

My Playhouse

Translate

About Me

I have been stamping and making cards since 2002. I've been married 46 years to Kevin, known herein as "Mister." Our son Daniel and his wife Rachel have twin sons Henry and Adam. Card-making and blogging are wonderful hobbies which have brought me noodles of friends! Oh, and I have an imaginary hamster named Hammy who keeps me in line. Thank you for visiting, joining, and commenting! It will be my pleasure to return the flavor!!